Pullman car ‘Glen Ayr’ donated for display at Pullman National Park

CHICAGO — The owner of the Aberdeen Carolina & Western Railway has donated a 1928 Pullman car to the Historic Pullman Foundation for preservation and display at the Pullman National Historical Park and State Historic Site.

The Glen Ayr, an all-steel Pullman heavyweight sleeper, has donated by Robert Menzies from the railway’s collection of historic Pullman cars. It is the first railcar donated to the Foundation and the National Park, which has been seeking to display equipment built at the Pullman factory. Built for the Chicago & North Western Railroad, the Glen Ayr operated on the North Western Limited between Chicago and the Twin Cities. In 1948, it was sold to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which used it in Florida service during periods of heavy winter demand. It was eventually acquired by the Aberdeen Carolina & Western and has been stored in Jacksonville, Fla.

“The Glen Ayr exemplifies the artistry and engineering of the Pullman Co. at its peak,” Joseph C. Szabo, Foundation president emeritus and former Federal Railroad Administration administrator, said in a press release. “Owning this car before it risks being lost to time is a milestone achievement for both HPF and our partners in the NPS and Illinois Department of Natural Resources.” Szabo leads the interagency Railcar Working Group, established by the NPBS and IDNR to acquire significant Pullman cars for inclusion in future exhibits.

It will take several years to create an appropriate method to display the Glen Ayr, the Foundation says. But it calls the acquisition “an essential step toward building a vibrant visitor experience that centers on the contributions of Pullman workers and the evolution of railroad travel.” Said Robert Montgomery, the Foundation’s Executive Director, “Each railcar we secure is a step closer to honoring the legacy of Pullman Porters, craftsmen, and passengers whose lives intersected in these rolling landmarks.”

More information on the Historic Pullman Foundation is available at its website. More on the Pullman National Historical Park is available here and on the State Historic Site is here.